Speaking in the Dail just before it broke up for its three-month summer break, Kelleher said no increase in public holidays is "being contemplated at the moment".

He added that the issue did not emerge during negotiations on the national partnership agreement last autumn.

"However, there is nothing to prevent any party raising such matters for discussion in the context of any subsequent agreement, " Kelleher said.

He said it was up to the unions and the employers to raise the issue of extra holidays.

"I do not propose to initiate a review."

Last April, the Public Service Executive Union proposed an extra five public holidays phased in over the next three years and that this be added to the union's 'shopping list' when negotiations open on a new national pay deal later in the year.

Irish workers have 20 days' annual leave . . . the legal minimum which applies across all EU countries . . . and nine public holidays, giving a total of 29 days' leave.

According to last week's survey by the Dublin-based Eurofound agency, this places Ireland 24th of the 27 EU countries surveyed, just above the eastern European countries of Estonia (26 days), Latvia (27) and Hungary (28).

Swedish workers top the EU holiday league with 42 days' annual leave and public holidays, followed by Germany (40), Italy (39) and Luxembourg and Denmark (38 days each).

When the total number of hours worked in the year is taken into account, Irish workers fare a little better but still work more hours than all the original EU 15 countries except Belgium.

Irish employees put in 1,802 hours in the year, which makes them the 10th hardest-working in Europe, topped only by the eastern European states. Estonians top this poll again, working 1,872 hours in the year. Latvia follows with 1,864 hours, Hungary with 1,856 and Poland with 1,840.

The French are the most work-shy, putting in 1,568 hours in the year, followed by the Swedes (1,631), the Danes (1,642) and the Germans (1,658).